Tourist The Constellation Room According to British producer William Phillips (the electronica newcomer also known as Tourist), he makes "dance music for people who don't like to dance." That translates to soft, looping rhythms against nebular backdrops: equal parts house and trance, equal parts ambient hypnotic noise. His live shows are more performance art than DJ set, and we're atingle this EDM powerhouse is coming stateside on his first bonafide North American tour, which began just last week in Brooklyn. He built his foundation making remixes for indie bands like Chvrches and Haïm--but now Tourist sets out to find a spotlight all his own. Don't miss this performance at the Constellation Room tonight, it's going to be a jillion times more fun than drinking green beer at the local bar. (Erin DeWitt)

Ikey Owens and John Marek The Prospector There's a little bit of a mystery here, but if this is the John Marek from the IE band Ideation--also the guy currently approaching a million hits on YouTube for a garage-punk song where he plays guitar and drums at the same time--then there's definitely some kind of a logic in this pairing. Owens, as anyone local knows or one day learns, is a natural among naturals, a guy who just slides up to a keyboard or organ and teaches it a whole new language. Recently part of Jack White's band, he's also a producer of some note and an endlessly inventive performer--so a duo with these two could be something to see. And if it's another Marek, warn him he's got some competition out there! (Chris Ziegler)

Thursday, March 20

The Orwells The Constellation Room On 2012's Remember When, the Orwell's ostensible full-length debut (their don't count their early records anymore, the band generate loud, anarchic, dirty and occasionally forlorn garage-punk that takes pride in sounding like it was recorded inside a food processor. You can sense carefree disobedience in their DNA. Following their breakthrough performance on Letterman, the band is riding the wave of a considerable profile boost and bringing their wild stage antics to Santa Ana this week. (Reyan Ali) Neighborhood Brats Alex's Bar It's always a good time when former Orphans singer Jenny Angelillo rolls back into town with her current band Neighborhood Brats--man, how young we were when Orphans was shreddin' and barfin' live on stage at Que Sera, right? Now armed with a killer new rhythm section--ex-Flash Express, Rough Kids, basically every other good punk band out of LA since 2000--the Neighborhood Brats just put out the new and nasty Total Dementia EP with three songs of tough Lewd/VKTMS punk and a Go-Go's cover so vicious it's practically dripping blood. A band for people tired of the people who keep trying to turn punk into a hyphenated half-genre--this is the good old-fashioned stuff, as delivered by a crew that knows exactly how to do it. (Chris Ziegler)

Friday, March 21

The Sword House of Blues Anaheim Austin heavyweights The Sword released their latest album Apocryphon in 2012, further establishing their rep as one of the most influential metal bands of the past decade. As the Sword has progressed from 2006's career-defining Age of Winters, their recordings have grown all the more challenging. Whereas Winters was pummeling and caveman-like, 2008's Gods of the Earth and 2010's Warp Riders retained the band's beloved rumble while expanding the Sword's sonic palette for the better and weirder. Catch them at House of Blues this week with O'Brother and Big Business.(Craig Hlavaty)